Chancellor wants new AD by start of football season

By Brian Howell Buffzone.com

Posted:
06/21/2013 03:34:24 PM MDT

Updated:
06/22/2013 05:43:28 PM MDT

CU interim athletic director Ceal Barry, shown here with Chancellor Phil DiStefano, will lead the search for a new athletic director, but will not be a candidate for the permanent job. (Greg Lindstrom / Camera file photo)

The University of Colorado has made the first step in finding a new athletic director.

On Friday, CU announced a seven-person search committee, which is charged with finding candidates for the vacant AD position. The committee is looking for a replacement for Mike Bohn, who was fired last month after eight years of leading the athletic department.

Barry will serve as chairperson for the committee. Other members of the committee are Kelly Fox, CU's senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer; Doug Looney, an alumni representative and former writer for Sports Illustrated; Joe Jupille, who is a faculty representative; David Clough, the faculty athletic representative; Kurt Gulbrand from the CU Foundation; and Brittany Lewis, a junior on the track and field team who is representing the student-athletes.

"These individuals have graciously agreed to serve on the committee and each represents a key constituency with a strong stake in the success of our athletic programs," CU chancellor Philip DiStefano said in a press release.

Barry said she is pleased with the group that was formed and excited as they move forward in their search. She said that several members of the committee, including Fox, Clough and Jupille will work closely with the new athletic director, so their input will be valuable.

Lewis was recommended by Barry to represent the student-athletes on this committee. Barry said it's important to have an athlete on the committee because everything the AD does "impacts the student-athletes." Barry also added that she believes student-athletes are a good judge of people, and that she told Lewis, "We will listen to you."

Clough has served on several search committees for the CU athletic department and "has contacts everywhere," Barry said. Jupille is on the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA) Intercollegiate Athletics committee, whose main priority is the academic well-being of student-athletes.

The group will meet for the first time on Thursday. At that point, DiStefano will present a general profile of what he wants in the next athletic director. The committee will then go over the job description and discuss how to move forward.

DiStefano said CU's goal is to have a new athletic director in place "certainly by the start of football season this fall."

The Buffs open the season Sept. 1 against Colorado State. Barry reiterated DiStefano's goal, adding that the school hopes to have the new AD hired by the start of the football season, if not already in place.

She did say, however, that the committee will not rush to meet a deadline. The main goal is make sure they do a thorough search. Barry said, "There is no perfect candidate," but that CU needs to find the right for the department.

It is common for athletic director searches to take several months, and CU's timeline is right in line with other schools that have hired new athletic director in recent years. Barry said she and DiStefano have already received inquiries from interested parties.

The news of the search committee was released at about 3:15 p.m. on Friday. By 5 p.m., Barry had already had possible applicants calling her.

It'll be the job of the search committee to narrow the list of applicants to present to DiStefano and CU president Bruce Benson.

Barry was originally considered to be a candidate for the job, because of her 30 years in CU's athletic department. However, she said that after a lot of thought, she decided it was best not to put her hat in the ring. She said her strengths are as an internal leader within the department, while the new AD will likely spend a lot of time on external matters, such as fund raising.

Until the new AD is hired, Barry will continue to lead the department.

"Ceal is moving things ahead and working hard to position our department operationally and financially," DiStefano said. "She will also play a key role in easing the transition of our new AD once he or she is chosen."

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